Key-carrying device.



A. H. MERRILL. KEY CARRYING DEVICE. APPLICATION rum) FEB. 27. 190B.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

Inventar: A. H Merrill 3y kis'Attorney,

Witnesses-.-

ARTHUR n. MERRILL, or HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

mar-enzyme nnwcs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

EPatented Dec. 1, 1906.

Application charm-m 27, 1908. Serial no. 418,045.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. MnRRrLL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key Carrying Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a key-carrying device, the object of the invention being to provide a simple article of this character of such a nature as to maintain the he s supported thereby separated; for examp e, there may be one key such as a house door key separated from the remaining keys, by virtue of which this particular key can readily be reached.

In the drawings acoompan ing and forming part-of this specification l -show in detail certain advantageous forms of embodiment of the invention which, to enable those skilled in the art to practice the same, be set forth at length 1n the following description, while the novelt of the invention Wlll be included in the c aims succeeding said descri tion.

Re er to said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a key-carrying device involvin my invention and showing the same in Wor g relation. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing by full lines one portion of one of the key-carrying members just prior to its separation from a kee er and, by dotted lines, two other positions of said portion. Fig. 3 is a similar view showin another ortion of said key-carrying mem er in its a vanced or releasin position. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views 0 another form of the device showing one of the elements thereof in locked and unlocked positions respectively.

Like characters refer to li e parts throughoufitlge several figlfi'es. Flgs i e -err'- initla to .-.1, 2, am 3, the key-Zin g dzvice' therein illustrated includes in 1ts construction a plurality of key-carrying members and a keeper directly cooperative with one of said members. These several arts may be ofany desirable character. T e kee er for instance may consist of a sleeve or tu e as 2 slidably connected with a key-carrying member as 3. The keeper 2 may if deslred be made-of sheet metal shaped to the desired form'or to present approximately a flat tube. The key-carrying memher 3 has cooperative therewith a second keycarrying member as 4. The former may, for illustration, be termed a primary'key-cartree branch 8 thereof.

' member, while the latter might be distinguished as a secondary key-carrying member, although these terms are adopt simply for convenience of description. The primaryke -carrying member 3 may consist of wire an may be of integral construction whereby cheapness in manufacture and resilience of said member are obtained, the :lat-

ter function being of advantage in the particular form of embodiment-of the invention herein illustrated. The key-carrying member 3 com rises two end loops as 5and 6, what are s own as the lower branches thereof being connected by a bar as 7 to resent a substantially skeleton member. T e 100 5 is made of circular or substantiall circu ar form so as to obtain a-spring-like e ectin the This free branch 8 of the loop 5 is pressed toward the bar 7 as shown by the lower dotted lines in Fig. 2 and, when the pressure or other restraining influence is removed, said free branch is swung outward as shown by the upper dotted lines in said figure, by the power of the spring, coil, or resilient loop 5.

When the parts are in o erative or working relation the free branc 8 of the loop 5 and the free branch 9 of the loop '6 are both inclosed by the keeper or sleeve 2, as shown in Fig. 1, and I provide-means to prevent relative movement of these two parts at this time. This result mi ht be obtained by friction but, as indicate positive means are provided for this purpose, and this can be accomplished by forming at the end of the free branch 8 a projectionxas 10 adapted to enter a perforation or hole as 11 in what is illustrated as the upper portion of the tubular or sleeve-like kee er 2. When the projection or catch 10 fits in said erfora'tion as indicated in Fig. 1, it will note possible for either the sleeve or key-carrying member 3 to move relatively to each other. By moving the branch 8 inward a sufiiclent distance the projection or catch 10 can be moved from out of the perforation 11, thereby unlocking the key-carrying member 3 and permitting it to be moved elther toward the light as shown in Fig. 2, or toward the left as illustrated in Fig. 3, to apply either a key to the loo 5 or to connect one with the loop 6 by app ication over the branches 8 and 9 respectively.

The diameter of the loo 5 is greater than the de h or width of t e keeper -2 from which it will be clear that the key-carrying ing of the invention.

" 12 of the chain, by abuttin member 3 cannot be pushed entirely through the keeper 2 from the right toward the left in Fig.1. In Fig. 3 said loop 5 is shown as having reached the limit of its movement to the left, the loop 5 at this time abutting against the adjacent end of the keeper 2 and, by virtue of the construction to which I have referred, it will be clear that the loop 5 cannot enter the keeper. During the described movement of the key-carrying member 3 from the right toward the left it will be clear that the branch 9 is moved from out of said loop. It will be assumed that both the branches 8 and 9 are inclosed in the keeper 2 and that it is desired to move the key-carrying member 3 toward the right in Fig. 1 so as to effect the application of a key tothe loop 5. To do this of course the hook, projection, or catch 10 is moved from out of the perforation 11, after which the key-carrying member can be moved toward the right as shown in Fig. 2, or, what is the same thin thekeeper can be moved toward the eft; in fact, both said arts can be relatively moved to accomplis the desired object, the directions indicated having been given simply to aid in an understand- I provide means to also prevent the movement of the key-carrying member 3 entirely through the sleeve, tube, or keeper Z'during the movement of the member 3 toward the right in said Fig. 1, and this means in the present case consists of the secondary key-carryi member 4 which is preferably of flexib e character and, if des1red,a chain may be employed for such pu ose. When a chain is employed the terminal links thereof will be connected with the primary key-carrying member .3 at op osite sides of the keeper 2, whereby the against the left end of the keeper 2, wi prevent the key-carrying member 3 being moved entirely through the sleeve or tube 2 during the movement of the same toward the right in Fig. 1. When the limit of such movement is reached the link 12 will strike against the sleeve, keeper, or tube 2 to secure the result indicated.

The op osite ends of the keeper 2 are shown as ormed on inward ares as 13 and 14 whereby there will be formed a catch portion as 15 at the top of the are 13, which, when the key-carrying member 3 is advanced toward the ri ht, serves to revent the branch 8 from eing accidental separated from the keeper 2, and the possible loss of a key or keys on the loo 5. The branch 8 can be so arated from t e keeper 2 by first an inwar pressure by the finger, which results in movin said branch inward or downward to the ower dotted-line position in Fig. 2, after which the branch 8 is swung outward by the springiness of the coil or loop 5 to permit the application of a key to the loop 5 by wa of said branch'8, or a separat1on of the ink 16 from said loop 5 anii its branch 8. l b I l k t is m custom to a uta sin e e to the loo 5 and this k I hay be, asTi y before in icated, the outer door ke of a house, or it maybe any other key w 'ch is ordinarily diflicult to find owing to its presence in a group. The key-carrying member 4 is shown as having a group or series of keys and, were a house key or one of such kind among several, it would be a difficult matter to locate the same. The advantage of positively separating the keys is obvious especially when a search for such a key is made in the dark. It will be clear that several keys may be carried on the loop 5 or other key-supporting art of the main keycarrying member, wh 0 only one key need be suspended from the key-carrying member 4. In applying keys to the part 4 it is my custom for this purpose to separate the link 12 from the loop 6 by way of the branch 9 and this relation is indicated in Fig. 3. In Fig. 1 I have shown a single key on the loop 5, while several keys are sup orted from the chain 4, although, from what as been stated, this condition mi ht very well be reversed.

The foregoing escription applies particularly to the form of embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive. I will now refer articularly to the form of embodiment of t 1e invention illustrated by' Figs. 4 and 5. The keeper in these figures is denoted by 2*, while the prima keycarrying member is denoted by 3*, it aving a loop 5 provided with a branch 8, all constructed substantially like the corresponding parts hereinbefore described. When the key-carrying member 3 reaches the limit of its movement toward the right in Figs. 4 and 5, the projection 10 will be substantially in perpendicular alinement with the vertical portion of a bayonet or approximately L-shaped slot as 16 in one side of the kee er 2, and there is no possibility of any furt er endwise movement by virtue of the engagement of a link or other part as 12 against that end of the keeper 2 opposite that near which the slot 16 is locate In view of this condition the key or ke s cannot accidental] be separated from t e loop 5 rovided t e projection or catch.10 should e sprung out of the catch or projection 11. Before the branch 8 an be separated from the keeper 2" it is necessar that said branch be swung in an inward irection until the projection or catch 10 and the adjacent portion of the branch 8 are in register or coincidence with the bayonet or L-shaped slot 16. When this takes place the branch 8" can be moved laterally so as to wholly separate the same from the keeper 2 to a ply a key to the loop 5 or to disconnect t 0 adjacent terminal hnk of a chain such as ereinment of the key-carrying member to such an extent that the accidental separation of the branch or latching member 8 from the keeper 2 cannot occur. In fact, two-distinct movements are necessary before this ope ation can be accomplished, first, an inwar movement, and then a lateral movement: The L-shaped slot 16 is formed substantially midway of the depth or width of the keeper 2 so that the resilient branch or latch 8 will have to be moved a short dis-' tance before the the vertical portio What I claim is: v

1. A key-carrying device comprising a key-carr ing member and a keeper movable on said ey-cari'ying member, said key-carrying member having longitudinally separated loops provided with free branches and the keeper being adapted to inclose simultaneously both said free branches and being shaped and movable to uncover either of them.

2. A key=carrying device comprising a key-carrying member, a keeper movable on said key-carrying member, said key-carrying member having longitudinally separated loops provided with free branches and the kee er being adapted to inclose simultaneousy both said free branches. and bei g shaped and movable to uncover either of them, and a second and flexible key-carrying member connected with said loops at points outside the keeper.

profjection 105 is opposite n o the slot 16.

3. A key-carrying device comprising a key-carrying member provided with open .loops one of which is resilient to constitute a sprlng and each loop having a free branch,

and a keeper separating the two loops and slidable on the key-carrying member and adapted to simultaneously inclose both said branches and movable to uncover either of them, one of said branches having means to engage the keeper to revent relative movement of the keeper an key-carrying member.

4. A key-carrying device comprising a key-carrying member provided with connected op osite loops each having a free branch, one o the loops being of coil form to thereby make the free branch thereof resilient, and a 'keeper separating the two loops and slidable on saidliey-carrying member to inclose both branches and movable to uncover either of them, the resilient branch having a projection, and the keeper having an opening to receive said projection.

5. A key-carrying device comprising a key-carrying member provided with a 100 having a resilient branch, and a keeper sli able on said key-carrying member and having a slot in its side at one end thereof to permit the lateral movement of said resilient branch.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ARTHUR H. MERRILL.

Witnesses:

' F. E. ANDERsdN,

JOSEPH P. KENNEDY. 

